System for replacement of sheet abrasive

Abstract

A system for rapid replacement of abrasive in machinery which uses the abrasive to finish the surfaces of workpieces that pass through the machinery on a belt, such as so-called widebelt sanders. One preferred embodiment of the system employs an abrasive material that is frictionally held on each edge to mounts. The position of the mounts may be varied to increase or decrease the tension of abrasive material against the working surface of the platen, that the assembly may be removed from the apparatus. In another embodiment, the abrasive material is formed with integral, permanent mounts on the edges of the abrasive material, so that the entire combination may be supplied or replaced as a unit. A variety of configurations of mounts may be used.

1. A system for rapid replacement of an abrasive material having two opposed edges in a surface finishing machine having a non-removable platen, comprising:
 two rails, one on each longitudinal side of the platen, at least one of which is movable with respect to the platen; 
 the abrasive material being held between two removable mounts by a frictional element on each of its two opposed edges; 
 the mounts being shaped and sized to removably fit within the movable rails on each side of the platen, at least one mount comprising a channel within which at least one edge of the abrasive material is held by a frictional element in the form of a spline. 
 
   
   
     2. The system of  claim 1 , in which at least one of the two movable rails moves between a first position in which the abrasive material is tightened around a working surface of the platen, and a second position in which the abrasive material is loosened and the mounts and abrasive material are removable from the surface finishing machine. 
   
   
     3. The system of  claim 1 , in which the movable rail is movable longitudinally away from the platen. 
   
   
     4. The system of  claim 1 , in which the movable rail is rotatable about its axis. 
   
   
     5. The system of  claim 1 , in which only one of the two rails is movable with respect to the platen. 
   
   
     6. The system of  claim 1 , in which both of the two movable rails are movable with respect to the platen. 
   
   
     7. The system of  claim 1 , in which at least one edge of the abrasive material may be removed from its respective mount by removing its respective frictional element. 
   
   
     8. The system of  claim 1 , in which the spline has a cross-section that is one of circular, elliptical, rectilinear, and wedge-shaped. 
   
   
     9. The system of  claim 1 , in which the spline comprises a synthetic resilient material. 
   
   
     10. The system of  claim 1 , in which any mount comprises extruded aluminum. 
   
   
     11. The system of  claim 1 , in which any mount comprises a hollow frame. 
   
   
     12. The system of  claim 1 , in which the frictional element is integrated into the abrasive material. 
   
   
     13. The system of  claim 1 , in which the mount comprises at least one feature that extends from a base to grip the abrasive material by compression on at least one surface of the abrasive material. 
   
   
     14. The system of  claim 1 , in which the mount has a cross-section that is one of rectangular, circular, or oval. 
   
   
     15. The system of  claim 1 , in which the abrasive material has a constant grit rating throughout its extent. 
   
   
     16. The system of  claim 1 , in which the abrasive material has a plurality of values of grit rating. 
   
   
     17. The system of  claim 1 , in which the abrasive material has two values of grit rating. 
   
   
     18. The system of  claim 1 , in which the abrasive material has a continuously variable value of grit rating. 
   
   
     19. The system of  claim 1 , in which the abrasive material comprises a plurality of pieces of material having differing values of grit rating. 
   
   
     20. A method of enabling rapid replacement of an abrasive material having longitudinally opposed edges in a surface finishing machine having a non-removable platen, comprising:
 providing the platen with a set of movable rails, one on each longitudinal side of the platen; 
 frictionally holding the abrasive material by each of its longitudinally opposed edges in respective mounts, the mounts being shaped and sized to fit within respective rails, at least one mount comprising a channel within which at least one edge of the abrasive material is held by a frictional element in the form of a spline; and 
 controlling tension of the abrasive material around a working surface of the platen during normal use of the machine to enable the abrasive material to be removed from the machine. 
 
   
   
     21. The method of  claim 20 , further comprising moving at least one of the two movable rails from a first position in which the abrasive material was tightened around a working surface of the platen, to a second position in which the abrasive material is loosened, and further comprising removing the mounts and abrasive material from the surface finishing machine. 
   
   
     22. The method of  claim 20 , in which the tension reduction comprises moving the movable rail longitudinally away from the platen. 
   
   
     23. The method of  claim 20 , in which the tension reduction comprises rotating the movable rail about its axis. 
   
   
     24. The method of  claim 20 , further comprising removing at least one edge of the abrasive material from its respective mount after removing its respective frictional element. 
   
   
     25. A combination of an abrasive material and a removable mount that frictionally secures a respective edge of the abrasive material within the mount, in which the mount is shaped and sized to fit within a rail located on one side of a non-removable platen of a surface finishing machine, and the mount comprises a channel within which at least one edge of the abrasive material is held by a frictional element in the form of a spline. 
   
   
     26. The combination of  claim 25 , further comprising a frictional element, and in which at least the edge of the abrasive material may be removed from its mount by removing the frictional element. 
   
   
     27. The combination of  claim 26 , in which the frictional element is integrated into the abrasive material. 
   
   
     28. The combination of  claim 25 , in which the spline has a cross-section that is one of circular, elliptical, rectilinear, and wedge-shaped. 
   
   
     29. The combination of  claim 25 , in which the spline comprises a synthetic resilient material. 
   
   
     30. The combination of  claim 25 , in which the mount comprises extruded aluminum. 
   
   
     31. The combination of  claim 25 , in which the mount comprises a hollow frame. 
   
   
     32. The combination of  claim 25 , in which the mount comprises at least one feature that extends from a base to grip the abrasive material by compression on at least one surface of the abrasive material. 
   
   
     33. The combination of  claim 25 , in which the mount has a cross-section that is one of rectangular, circular, or oval. 
   
   
     34. The combination of  claim 25 , in which the abrasive material has a constant grit rating throughout its extent. 
   
   
     35. The combination of  claim 25 , in which the abrasive material has a plurality of values of grit rating. 
   
   
     36. The combination of  claim 25 , in which the abrasive material has two values of grit rating. 
   
   
     37. The combination of  claim 25 , in which the abrasive material has a continuously variable value of grit rating. 
   
   
     38. The combination of  claim 25 , in which the abrasive material comprises a plurality of pieces of material having differing values of grit rating. 
   
   
     39. A system for rapid replacement of an abrasive material having two opposed edges in a surface finishing machine having a non-removable platen, comprising:
 two rails, one on each longitudinal side of the platen, at least one of which is movable with respect to the platen; 
 the abrasive material being held between two removable mounts by a frictional element on each of its two opposed edges; 
 the mounts being shaped and sized to removably fit within the movable rails on each side of the platen; 
 at least one movable rail being movable longitudinally away from the platen. 
 
   
   
     40. A system for rapid replacement of an abrasive material having two opposed edges in a surface finishing machine having a non-removable platen, comprising:
 two rails, one on each longitudinal side of the platen, at least one of which is movable with respect to the platen; 
 the abrasive material being held between two removable mounts by a frictional element on each of its two opposed edges; 
 the mounts being shaped and sized to removably fit within the movable rails on each side of the platen; 
 at least one mount comprising at least one feature that extends from a base to grip the abrasive material by compression on at least one surface of the abrasive material. 
 
   
   
     41. A combination of an abrasive material and a removable mount that frictionally secures a respective edge of the abrasive material within the mount, in which the mount is shaped and sized to fit within a rail located on one side of a non-removable platen of a surface finishing machine, and the mount comprises at least one feature that extends from a base to grip the abrasive material by compression on at least one surface of the abrasive material. 
   
   
     42. A combination of an abrasive material and a removable mount that frictionally secures a respective edge of the abrasive material within the mount, in which the mount is shaped and sized to fit within a rail located on one side of a non-removable platen of a surface finishing machine, and the abrasive material has a plurality of values of grit rating.